Nine Hours, Twenty-One Minutes
by Zane's Girl- Jo
Summary: "See this? Nine hours, twenty-one minutes." He said, shoving the watch beneath her nose. She narrowed her eyes, wrenching the watch from his grasp and bashing it against the wall. "Has it been that long, Tim?" What exactly Tim and Ziva did in the elevator for the last nine hours before the beginning of Power Down. Established McGiva.


**Nine Hours, Twenty-one Minutes**

**Rifiuto: No****n Miriena**

**Summary: "See this? Nine hours, twenty-one minutes." He said, shoving the watch beneath her nose. She narrowed her eyes, wrenching the watch from his grasp and bashing it against the wall. "Has it been that long, Tim?" What exactly Tim and Ziva did in the elevator for the last nine hours before the beginning of Power Down. Established McGiva. **

_Hour One_

She grabbed onto him as the elevator jerked roughly; his arms went around her waist, holding her to him. They'd planned to go home and have a quiet dinner together before watching a movie and falling into bed. So far, they'd been able to keep their relationship out of the workplace, having secret liasions at either his place or hers, but always keeping their private affairs out of the bullpen and away from Gibbs' nose and his rules. "What was that?" She asked, looking up at him. He shrugged, taking a deep breath.

"I don't know, Zi." After a moment, he released her, going to the elevator buttons and pressing one. Nothing happened. He tried another, before turning to Ziva. "I... I think the power may be down." She groaned, dropping her bag and squeezing her coffee cup.

"What do you _mean_ it's _down_?" She asked. Tim grit his jaw, leaning back against the wall, taking a sip of his coffee.

"I mean it's _down_, Zi! It doesn't work! Something's wrong or it's broken or the power's out or_ something_!"

_Hour Two_

Tim glanced up at her, watching her pace back and forth. "Would you come _sit down_? You're going to wear a hole and then fall right through the floor, and God knows, not even the janitors want to clean up that mess." He said, glancing at his phone.

"Would you _stop looking_ at your phone for the_ thousandth time_? Every time I look at you, you are checking your phone for service. If you don't have bars, I don't have bars. You are going to have to accept it." He rolled his eyes, leaning his head back against the portion of the wall he sat against.

"I can't believe we've been stuck in this elevator for nearly two hours." He grumbled.

"I cannot believe you're stil complaining about it." She mumbled under her breath, continuing her pacing. As she got closer to Tim, he grabbed her ankle, tugging her close. "Timothy! What the hell are you doing?" She demanded, as he pulled until she'd landed, sprawled in his lap. She push herself up, meeting his gaze. "What was that?"

"_Stop. Pacing. The floor._ It's not going to get us anywhere, it's certainly not going to get us out of here anytime soon-"

"Not unless I wear a hole and fall through it." She replied, throwing his own words back at him. He glared at her.

"Yeah, the janitors still wouldn't clean it up."

_Hour Three_

He sighed, wrapping an arm around her waist, hand gently caressing her thigh. They had stopped the yelling and arguing that had gone on for the last two hours, and now sat silently in the elevator, as others left and the janitors arrived to clean. Gently, he continued to caress her thigh, staring at the ceiling. "What's wrong?" Slowly, he moved his gaze to her dark eyes. She watched him, waiting.

"Sorry?"

"What's wrong, Tim?" He shook his head, giving her a soft smile.

"Nothing, Zi." He replied, but his eyes betrayed him. She shifted, moving closer, taking his face in her hands.

"Tim, something is bothering you. What is it? I'm your partner, not just at work, but at home. You can tell me. You know you can. Now what's wrong?" She asked, gently brushing her fingers over his skin. As her fingers moved over his lips, he pressed soft kisses to them, making her smile.

"I just..." He sighed deeply, shifting beneath her, until she straddled him. His arms went around her waist, and he licked his lips, before continuing. "I got a call, when I went out and got lunch for us today." She waited, tilting her head to the side.

"Okay." He stared at the Star of David around her neck, reaching up to gently play with it, twirling it on the chain, as his other hand gently cradled her rear. She relaxed into his touch, waiting for him to continue. "Who was it from?"

"Hetty Lange." She shook her head, not familiar with the name. "Hetty is the... Operations Manager for the West Coast offices of NCIS. The LA team of NCIS."

"Oh." He nodded, chuckling softly.

"Yeah, she's the... female West Coast version of Gibbs. Small but... intimidating. Has a bronze medal from the nineteen-sixty-four Summer Olympics in Tokyo, for small-bore rifle event; she's recieved the DIA Award of Merit and the CIA Intelligence Star... she's skilled in Hapkido, Wushu and Eskrima. She's a member of the Order of Orange Nassau," Ziva cocked her head, but he shook his head, indicating he'd explain later. "And she's fluent in ten languages. And she... offered me a position as Team Leader."

"That's wonderful, Tim-"

"In LA." She stopped, not sure she heard right.

"In... you mean... in..." He nodded.

"Yeah. If I accepted, I would have to move to the West Coast." She reached up, taking his face in her hands. "That's why I've been checking my phone. I told her that I needed to think it over and talk with someone important before I made a decision."

"I do not want you to go." She whispered, tears in her eyes. He pulled her closer, her forehead resting against his.

"I'm not going to. I'm gonna call her and decline." He whispered, pressing a kiss to her lips softly. "Because I couldn't leave you. I could never leave you."

_Hour Four_

She lifted her head from the wall, leaning forward to look at him. They'd sat in slience for the last hour, her legs in his lap, thinking. A moment passed, before she said, "I want to start looking for a house."

"Why? What's wrong with your apartment?" He asked, lifting his head from the wall. She shrugged.

"Nothing. I just... I want to start looking for a house. Together." He chuckled softly.

"The only reason I can think of getting a house is if we're pregnant-" He stopped, registering his words, and then he looked up. "You aren't, are you?" She shook her head, sadly.

"No. But I want to be. Some day. I want to have your children. I want us to have a family. I just... I just thought that.. that maybe a house would give us a good start. That if we bought a house together, then we could... eventually have children." She glanced at him; his green eyes were wide in surprise. "You probably do not want children..."

But he reached out, taking her hand and squeezing. "Of course I want children, Ziva. I would love to have children, and with you as their mother... I'd be the luckiest man in the world..." He bit his lip, before letting go of her hand and reaching into his pocket. "I know this isn't the perfect time or place, but I've been meaning to ask you this for a while." He handed her a small black box, and she stared at him, this time, suprised. "But I've been wanting to ask you to marry me for a long-"

He slammed into the wall as Ziva landed on top of him, throwing her arms around his neck. Her lips found his and she drank him in deeply, enjoying the taste of him as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "I take it that's a yes?" He asked, pulling away. She grinned, kissing him again as he removed the ring from the box and slid it on her finger.

_Hour Five_

"You know, as soon as Gibbs sees that ring, he's gonna know about us, right?" Ziva shrugged, glancing down at the engagement ring that sparked, even in the dark.

"I don't care. All I care about is that I'm going to be your wife. That is what's important." She replied, crawling towards him. They'd spent the last thirty minutes on opposite sides of the elevator, trying to find a loose hatch or something that would allow them to get out of the small space. Even the joy of their recent engagement wasn't enough to keep them from slowly starting to go insane. Tim picked up his now cold cup of coffee and took a sip.

"Even so, I can already hear the lecture we're going to get from Gibbs once he catches sight of that ring on your finger. And the teasing from Tony- gah!" He shivered in annoyance. Ziva laughed, crawling closer. "_'What were you two thinking? Don't you know Rule Twelve is there for a reason?'_" Tim said, imitating their fearless, silver-haired leader. Ziva giggled,

_"'I'll headslap you both into next year! And then you can both go home and get your heads on straight!'"_

Tim laughed, picking up his cup and taking a sip of the cold coffee. He glanced at the cup, running a finger over the rim before he said, _"'Do you know what kind of example you're setting for _Tony_?'"_

Ziva snorted softly, stopping as she said,_ "A husband and wife on the same team, it just isn't done!'"_

_"'I'll transfer you both- McGee to the basement and David straight back to Israel!'"_

Finally, Ziva moved towards him, stopping next to Tim. She swallowed the lump in her throat, watching as he set the cup aside. In a soft whisper, she said,_ "'When is the wedding? And when are you going to have your first child?'_" He pulled her into his lap, capturing her lips in a deep kiss. As her arms wrapped tight around his neck and they broke the kiss, he rested his forehead against hers, whispering softly,

"_'Hold tight to each other, and never let go._'" She nodded, nudging her nose against his.

"I hope he says that, Tim. I hope to God he says that."

_Hour Six_

Gently, she parted his lips, tasting the coffee from earlier. Her fingers ran though his hair, tangling in the strands as she straddled his lap. One hand ran underneath her shirt, and caressing her soft, smooth skin as the kiss deepened. A moment passed, before he pulled away, nibbling softly on her lower lip. She smiled, catching his lips again and returning the action.

Ziva loved the foreplay almost as much as the sex itself. And sure, she'd had other partners that were all about the sex and not the foreplay, or all about the foreplay and not the sex; with Tim, it was equal both ways. Just as much foreplay as there was sex. And sometimes, they would take an hour or two just to play and tease each other.

But they often had a nice plush sofa or warm bed.

Tonight, they had hard, carpeted floor. Not that either cared.

Tim broke the kiss, pulling her top over her head and tossing it across the small space. She stared into his bright green eyes, and he grinned, kissing her quickly on the lips before proceeding to work on the soft mounds of her breasts, left exposed by her bra. She tangled her fingers in his hair, letting out a moan of enjoyment. She pulled away, staring into his eyes for several minutes before latching her lips onto his. Slowly, she unbuttoned his shirt, not wanting to rip the beautiful grey that went so well with his green eyes. She removed his jacket, tossing it with her shirt, and then pulled the shirt off, dropping it in a bundle beside them.

He had definately trimmed down, in the last few years. At first, when Ziva had first noticed her boyfriend had started to lose weight, she was afraid he'd gotten sick, and then she'd run into him at the NCIS gym. From that day on, when they weren't working cases or spending time together at home, they'd spend their time at the gym, sparring and working out. And she was surprised to find that he often initiated their close combat sessions. Yes, she could definately say that he looked ten times better than Tony. In every way.

_Hour Seven_

"I love you, Zi." She grinned up at him, drinking in his dark eyes.

"I love you, Tim." And then, with one swift motion, she'd flipped him onto his back. "But you forget, I also like to be on top." She giggled, running her hands down his chest as his hands moved up her back, caressing her spine and tangling his fingers in her ponytail. He chuckled, pulling her down to kiss her deeply.

"How could I forget?" He asked, nipping her lower lip gently. As Ziva reached to combine them, she stopped, glancing around. He tightened his hold on her ponytail, pushing against her. She quickly glanced around, asking,

"Should we be doing this? In the elevator?" Tim quickly tugged her down to him, capturing her lips in a deep kiss.

"We're stuck, Ziva. The power is down. Which means cameras, intercoms, and electricity are not working. We're completely alone." She grinned, leaning down to nip gently at his lower lip, whispering,

"Good."

She shifted; gently taking him into her grasp. She had had other lovers, but none as thick as Tim. She didn't deny that she loved the feeling of him completely inside her; the feeling of being together, two souls within one body. She groaned softly, adjusting to his length, raking her nails down his chest as they found their rhythm. He bucked beneath her, and she tightened her grip on his hips with her knees, sending him deeper into her as they moved together. Eventually, their climax overtook them, and they collapsed in each others' arms, screaming each others' names.

_Hour Eight_

Tim glanced at his phone, checking the time. He sighed, tightening his arm around Ziva as she snuggled into him. Redressed, they sat back against the wall, talking softly, still sated from their lovemaking earlier. They often spent hours afterwards, wrapped in each others' arms, enjoying the feel of the other's heart beating in time. He sighed.

Six A.M.

They'd left around ten last night, stepped into the elevator, and lost themselves in soft kisses and caresses as the doors closed behind them, enjoying the rare alone time at work before planning on going back to his apartment to have dinner and fool around like they did most nights. And then the elevator had jerked, the power going out, trapping them in the car. Tonny had left an hour earlier, claiming he had a date- though both knew the only date he had was with his mystery girl who worked at the hospital. Not that he still didn't try to flirt with Ziva- he knew she was Tim's, but that didn't stop him from trying to steal her away, even if it was all in 'good fun.'

"Can we try?" He slipped his phone back into his pocket and turned to look down at her.

"Try what, Zi?" He asked softly, meeting her gaze. She sighed, resting her chin on his chest.

"Making a baby." She whispered, hope in her eyes. He chuckled softly, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Of course. But shouldn't we at least get married first?" She wrinkled her nose, grinning.

"Maybe we'll get lucky. Have our baby and our wedding at the same time." He rolled his eyes, and she sat up, searching his eyes. "How many do you want to have?" They had never discussed this before, but then again, they'd never discussed marriage either. But now they were engaged- as of four hours ago- and didn't know when they would face the real world and be forced to tell Gibbs. So they were savoring every moment together, including discussing children.

"As many as you want, Zi. I want to make you happy." He said, as she climbed into his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I will be happy, Tim." She whispered, searching his eyes and finding what she sought. "Because we'll be together. Forever."

"I like the sound of that." He replied softly, meeting her lips in a soft kiss.

_Hour Nine_

"See this, nine hours, twenty-one minutes." Tim said, shoving his watch under her nose. He had continued his pacing, leaving Ziva sitting on the floor crosslegged, examining her engagement ring, content. Although, soon, his pacing got to her, and she looked up at him, eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"Has it been_ that long, _Tim?" She grabbed the watch he shoved in her face and in one swift motion, slammed it against the wall, breaking it into pieces, knocking her cup of coffee over in the process. A shame, too, because she'd gotten him that watch for his birthday last year. But sacrifices had to be made, and she refused to sacrifice the man she was going to marry, so the watch had to go.

"_Why did you do that_?"

"It was either _you_ or the watch. And _frankly_, I would rather not damage you." Ziva replied from her perch on the floor of the elevator. Tim knelt down, picking up the pieces.

"It's just, what's takin' so long, ya know?" He asked, meeting his lover's gaze. Ziva sighed, rolling her eyes, but she had to agree with him. Someone had to have known that they were stuck in the elevator- if the power had gone out late last night like it had, then the janitors, the Director, someone- anyone- who was still in the building, had to know the elevator had gotten stuck.

"Look, I'm sure we're not the only ones who need to be _rescued_. Plus, things could be _a lot_ _worse_."

"Yeah, how's that?"

"Well, we could be stuck here with... _Tony_." He chuckled softly as her voice softened as she mentioned their partner; clearly, she didn't want anyone to hear her annoyance with the Senior agent.

"I heard that." The pair stopped, turning to the door. Tony's voice met them on the other end, made louder through the orange cone he was holding to his mouth. "I find it very interesting that the two of you_ left_ together late last night." He joiked, knowing it would get on their nerves. He'd spent the night at Jeanne's house, making love in front of the fire and roasting marshmallows; he hadn't been stuck in the elevator like his partners had. But even so, he had no clue as to what had gone on in said elevator, which meant he knew nothing of their recent engagement. Ziva rolled her eyes, instantly annoyed.

Yeah, like any woman could love_ that_.

"Just ignore him, Tim. He's like an annoying bug." She used her hands to demonstrate like she often did with the language. "Eventually, he'll just go away." Tim stopped his pacing and turned to her.

"Ziva, it's been five years,_ trust me_, he's not goin' anywhere." She sighed, rolling her eyes. They fell into silence, Tim continuing to pace as Ziva watched her fiance, silent. Eventually, she got up, going to him and taking his hands in hers, stopping his pacing.

"And neither am I. Though I hope you'll keep me." He chuckled softly.

"You? Always." He whispered, wrapping his arms around her waist and lowering his mouth to hers.


End file.
